After a speech to the New York State Democratic Party in Albany during which he urged the state to give Barack Obama a mandate and talked broadly about electing Democrats locally, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he doesn't want to talk politics until after the legislative session is over.

"We’ll discuss political decisions in the political season, but we are now in the government season and we’re trying to get government bills passed," Cuomo told reporters.

The answer was in keeping with Cuomo's regular theme. But it's probably worth noting that he didn't actually say he was disengaged from politics, but simply that he doesn't want to talk about it.

Next week he's helping Assembly Democrats raise money, a courtesy he has yet to extend to Democrats in the State Senate. Earlier this month, Cuomo held a $5,000-per-person fund-raiser in Buffalo, and then worked to avoid reporters waiting outside.

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden: "The early engagement reflects the acceleration of politics in the age of Twitter, when every attack must be countered in real time." [Peter Baker]

"Romney campaign officials understand their challenge with black voters against a Democratic incumbent, particularly when that incumbent is also the first African American elected to the presidency. Still, they insist they will try." [Nia-Malika Henderson and Philip Rucker]

"This isn't an ink blot. This is City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's schedule for 2011." [Courtney Gross]

NY-07

Attacking Velazquez: One rival, Dan O'Connor, said, "Most people don't know who she is. On top of that, She brought the least amount of money back to her district of any representative in all of New York State," and "She gets all of her donations from lobbyists, big banks, big corporations. She only got one donation from the district last year." [Inside City Hall]

Yesterday "the Patz news was leading the homepages of all the city's major outlets, including The New York Times, The New York Post, the Daily News, Newsday, DNAinfo and the local affiliates for NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC, which broke into 'The View' to carry Mayor Bloomberg's remarks during a press conference ... about the latest developments." [Joe Pompeo]

"The findings mean New Jersey Muslims have no state recourse to stop the NYPD from infiltrating student groups, videotaping mosque-goers or collecting their license plate numbers as they pray." [Associated Press]

"[I]t was unclear Thursday night what evidence, beyond Mr. Hernandez’s confession, the prosecutors have in hand. Mr. Kelly acknowledged that there was no physical evidence implicating Mr. Hernandez, though he said the investigation was continuing." [William Rashbaum and Joseph Goldstein]

Albany

Cuomo said he doesn't want to talk politics until after the legislative session ends, and is having a fund-raiser for Assembly Democrats next week. [Ken Lovett]

“Obviously I have pissed some people off enough to the point where they would send in jackbooted thug police officers to do an anal search on someone I believe they thought was my wife,” said the investigations editor at the Albany Times Union. [Danny Hakim and Nick Confessore]

Cuomo sounds like E.J. McMahon, noting the pension fund fell short of its obligations, despite a recent uptick. [Jon Campbell]

"Many gay couples in New York and Connecticut are learning that even though their state allows them to marry, they still must take more steps than straight couples to protect their assets." [Arden Dale]

Pollution fines can be reduced or eliminated for companies that agree to a self-auditing deal with state environmental officials. [Sarah Crean]